


Boiling Sunday Afternoon

by roshytsunami



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Awkward meeting, Chubby Prompto Argentum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 09:51:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19903801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roshytsunami/pseuds/roshytsunami
Summary: Ignis is running an errand in the heat when a chubby child faints right in front of him.





	Boiling Sunday Afternoon

Ignis would like to expect he was more than just an errand boy for his highness. He dealt with politicians, rewrote papers on policies and specific duties. It wasn’t very regal, but the paperwork had to be done and he was learning from the best as the house of Scientia was required to do. How he had become reduced to running an errand for ice cream was not unexpected but rather tedious.

He was lost in his thoughts rewriting in his mind the policy for the use of Kingsglaive’s weaponry in the sight of civilians concerning warping techniques. It was more of less Kingsglaive etiquette when fighting near civilians and not warping into a nearby civilian or worse. Warping a blade into a civilian because protocols were not followed. It was an interesting policy and one of safety and practicality.

So, lost in these thoughts of policy and the dreaded ice cream run in the middle of a boiling Sunday afternoon he would have missed the boy face-planting on the sidewalk in front of him if his large mass had sounded with a loud thump in front of him.

Instincts took over as he knelt down by the large boy laying on the sidewalk barely able to move much less breathe in an out. He turns the boy over and sees the graying tracksuit covered in sweat and sees the boy’s face beat red and sweat pouring down his brows as he breathes harshly.

Ignis makes no comment other than to warn the boy he was going to sit him up before looking at the nearest spectator and pointing at them to grab some water for the dehydrated boy. Honestly, have these fools never seen someone pass out? Oh yes let’s just gawk at the struggling individual, shall we. He shouts in his head before a woman hands him a water bottle.

He uncaps the bottle and offers it to the boy who barely drinks from it. Ignis frowns at the action and looks at the boy through his be speckled face. “I am going to take this sweatshirt off to cool you down. Is that acceptable?”

The blonde blinks at him confused at the question before nodding. The blonde reaches down trying to pull the tab of the sweatshirt over his head, but his hands tremble too much from the loss of water. Ignis makes no comment of it and lifts the soaked object off the boy showing an equally soaked no longer white tank underneath.

The boy sighs contently before using his arms to cover his stomach. “I’m ok…thanks,” he mumbles looking down at his shaking legs. He fiddles his fingers in the grass trying to block out the noises from the spectators that haven’t the sense to leave just yet.

He pants not moving his eyes from the ground and instead keeps his head bent before looking at the water bottle on the grass by his side. “Can I drink that? I’ll pay you back- “

“Of all the nonsense,” Ignis scowls, “yes, of course, you can drink it. You nearly died from the heat,” he says shoving it into the boy’s hands.

The blonde blinks his eyes at the other before turning his head back down as he chugs on the water greedily.

“Drink it slowly or you’ll make yourself sick,” Ignis answers sitting by the boy’s side. Honestly, where are his parents? “Why were you running in the middle of the day? And in a sweatsuit no less,” he scolds as if talking to his highness.

“Oh,” the blonde says as if that is explanation enough. He rubs his finger on the rim of the bottle not looking up at the man scolding him. “You lose more calories in the heat…and I never passed out before so- “

“So, you are doing this to lose weight and thought this was a good idea,” he asks eyebrows raised.

The blonde flinches, “well yeah kind of obvious that I need to isn’t it,” he nearly yells back. “Why do you care anyway? I’m alright now and I’ll pay you back for the water and I know not to do it again so you don’t have to stay here and babysit me,” he says staring into the other green eyes before turning his head away.

Ignis stares at the boy keeping his tongue in check. This is not Noct, this is a random boy who passed out or nearly injured himself in front of him. This is a child of some sort that needs a gentle hand, not a scolding advisor. Ignis takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “my apologies. It seems the heat has gotten to the both of us. However, when someone falls on their face barely moving it can be quite concerning to make sure that person is steady and well enough on their own before leaving. Your face is still beat red perhaps you need something more than water.”

The blonde looks at him eyes widening beneath his rims, “oh no I’ll be ok. I just…more embarrassed than anything. I’ll just sit here a minute and run home- “

Ignis raises an eyebrow at the last few words, “run home?”

The blonde smiles slightly, “er walk home? Um, I guess since we are talking, we should give names. Or my name is Prompto…so thanks for your help.”

Ignis is momentarily flustered, “my apologies but given your dire situation, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ignis,” he states seeing the one called Prompto nods his head.

Ignis squints his eyes looking at the boy closer. The name sounds familiar or at least the boy has a familiar face at least. Given that the redness from his face is diminishing and he doesn’t look like a dying fish out of the water he wonders if he has seen this boy before.

“Have we met before Prompto,” he asks instead. Prompto has a moment to look confused before Ignis’s memory catches up with him. “You were the one stalking his highness a month ago.”

Prompto’s face loses what little color it has left as he forces himself to stand up on shaky legs giving Ignis his answer. Ignis switches from motherly mode to interrogation mode in an instant. “Was this a play to gain my sympathy? You must have seen me with Noct at least once. I picked him up often from school. Did you try to trick me,” he asks following after Prompto who hunches his shoulders and keeps his head down as Ignis gains his ground on him easily.

Ignis is about to ask another question before Prompto fumbles in his steps. He nearly trips but rights himself in time before turning to look up at Ignis. “I didn’t stalk him…I wasn’t trying to,” he says rubbing his hands together. “I wanted to be his friend.”

Ignis listens and gives the signature look of a ‘please continue’. “And I can’t be his friend yet.”

Ignis raises an eyebrow at that, “why not? If it’s because of your commoner status his highness does not care of such things.”

Prompto winces, “well maybe a bit is that but…I don’t exactly look like a friend for the prince,” he pauses, “so until I am, I can’t ask him, not yet.”

Ignis may be observant of most things. He may be able to tell when to use his daggers verse a polearm when to use fire elemental or ice but in situations that deal with emotions, he becomes lost. Everything should have order, be precise and emotions are rarely if ever organized. But he does understand this boy feels ashamed or some insecurity but in what that is he cannot tell.

“I do not understand where your shame is coming from, but I can admit that his highness only chooses the best in who he keeps close to him,” he continues seeing Prompto’s confusion. “He looked for the one he felt watching him for a few weeks before it was advised that if one should want to talk to him then one should be brave enough to approach him in public and not hide behind a light pole,” he grins.

Prompto blushes at the statement and looks anywhere but at Ignis. “Oh well…that’s nice, I guess, but um,” he fidgets.

Ignis places his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “when you are ready, I am sure his highness will wonder why it took you so long to approach him, but you must do this at your own pace. That much I know to be true.”

Prompto nods his head, “I uh…well I guess so. Thank you Ignis. I’m going to head home, and walk not run there and I’ll do that,” he fumbles with his words before offering an awkward wave to Ignis and walking down the sidewalk.

Ignis sighs watching Prompto leave resisting the urge to walk the boy home as if he is his guardian. The boy is not heat exhausted anymore and is not stumbling like he was before. Prompto is walking home he should be fine. Besides he needs to get back on track to his errand and return to the Citadel. If Prompto wants to wait for the perfect moment, then so be it. More than likely the boy will forget Noct completely in a few months and find something else more amusing. Most others that have attempted to befriend the prince do.


End file.
